Supplementary fuel-feeding device for internal-combustion engines



March 12, 1929. H, HlGGINS, JR 1,704,832

SUPPLEMENTARY FUEL FEEDING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept. 8, 192-5 INVENTOR.

1 a. Q WW9" Patented M... 12, 1929.

* UNITED STATES- HENRY 1a. meems, .m, or DENVER, coLonAnof' SUPPLEMENTARY FUEL-FEEDING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL couBUsTIolll'jiilNG-Ims.

- Application filed September a, 1925. Serial No. 55,182.

My invention relates improved means for supplementing the regular fuel supply of an internal combustion engine at such times as an auxiliary supply of fuel becomes desirable, as for starting the engine, and for causing it to accelerate rapidly when the throttle is quickly opened.

An object of my invention is to provide such a device which positively cuts off the supplemental fuel supply except at those times when it is needed. I

A further object of myinvention is to pro vide such a device which may be actuated by the vacuum created by the carburetor chokevalve, to admit a supplemental supply of fuel when the engine is operated with said choke-valve close A further object of my invention is to provide such a device which may be operated manually to admit a supplemental supply of fuel when desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide, such a device which may be operated in conjunction with the throttle to admit a supplemental quantity of fuel for a predetermined period of time following the opening of said throttle.

A further object of my invention is to. provide such a device which may be operated in any one, or two, or all three of the aforesaid ways. Y

A further object of my invention is to provide such a device which introduces its supplemental fuel supply into the intake pipe of the engine in the form of a fine mist.

A further object of my inventionis to pro vide such a device which at all times admits a small jet of atmospheric air into the intake pipe of the engine.

Further objects of my invention are to provide such a device which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install.

My invention may be embodied in various forms to suit different conditions. Those forms which I deem most practical for general use are illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein- Figure 1 is an end elevation of my invention secured between the carburetor and the intake pipe of an internal combustion engine, with which units it cooperates; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through my invention, taken on the indicatedl-ine 22 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section of a form of my invention adapted for manual operation only; Figure 4 is an end elevation of a form of my invention adapted only for vacuum operation; and Flgure 5 is a plan view of the inner face of the cylinder head 14 used in'those forms of my invention shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4.

As here shown the-bod portion 1 is made in the form of a flange a apted to align with and be clamped between the customary clamping flanges of thecarburetor A and the intake pipe B. As shown in Figure 9 the body portion 1 is transversely perforated with the usual bolt holes 2 and 2 and a central passage 3 which forms a part of the intake passage to the engine. 7

A perpendicular passage 4 leads outward from the central passage 3 and conjoins at its outer end with a smaller passage 5 which communicates with atmosphere. Intersectmg the passages 4 and 5 at approximately their juncture is another relatively large passage 6, conjoining near said intersection with a relatively small coaxial passage 7 The outer end of the passage 7 communicates with a fuel supply pipe 8 which may be led to any suitable source of fuel, it being shown in Fi ure 1 as connected with a T 9 to the fuel pipe C of the carburetor A.

The juncture of the passages 6 and 7 forms a seat for a needle-valve 10, which is adapted to reciprocate in the passage 6. A coaxial enlargement of the outer end of the passage 6 forms a cylinder 11, adapted to coact with a piston 12, which is screw-threaded onto the outer end of the stem of the needle-valve 10 and locked in place by a nut 13.

.The outer end of the cylinder 11 is closed by a head 14 which is retained by the screws 15 and 15', screw-threaded into bosses formed on the circumferential wall of the cylinder 11. '95

.18 communicates with the interior of the carburetor A at a point just inside the chokevalve D when in its closed position, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1.

The partial vacuum created in the carburetor A by operating the engine with the chokevalve D closed, acts through the pipe 18 and I the passage 17 to draw the piston 12 outward against the action of the spring 16, opening the needle-valve 10 and admitting fuel to the intake pipe B via the passages 6, 4 and '3. As soon as the choke valve D is released, the partial vacuum is relieved, permitting the spring 16 to return the piston 12 and the needle-valve 10 to their originalpositions and cut off the supplemental supply of fuel.

In some cases it is desirable to admit a supplemental supply of fuel to compensate for a temporary deficiency in the regular supply when the throttle is quickly opened. My invention may be adapted for this purpose by the provision of an additional cylinder 19, the inner or closed end of which communicates with the inner end of the cylinder 11 by way of a passage 20. Mounted-forreciprocation within the cylinder 19 is a piston 21, affixed to a piston-rod 22 by means of two clamp-nuts-23 and 23. The outer end of the piston-rod 22 is operatively attached to the throttle-arm E by means of a clip 25. and the body portion 1 of the device is so placed that a movement of the throttle-arm E toward the open position of the throttle will In order to properly regulate the duration of time for the admission of supplementary fuel, a vent 26 is provided from the inner end of the cylinder 19 to atmosphere. This vent permits the escape of the air compressed by the piston 21, the spring 16 .returning the needle-valve 10 to its seat as soon as the pressure behind the piston 12 is released. The

vent 26 is restricted by a screw: 27 which may be moved upward or downward to cover or uncover it to any desired degree, thus governing the rate at which the pressure behind the piston 12is released.

The small air passage 5 is continuously.

open to atmosphere and is so placed relative to the mouth of. the fuel passage 6 that the blast of air induced through it serves to atomize and aerate the incoming fuel at all times, thus delivering it to the intake pipe B in the best condition for distribution and combustion.

Figure 3 shows a form of my invention adapted for use where manual operation is desirable. It differs from those heretofore described in that the cylinder 11 and the cylinder-head 14 are replaced by a cap 28 which is screw-threaded onto an extended plementary fuel feeding device for internal combustion engines, I claim as my inven tion 1; A supplementary fuel feeding device adapted for attachment to the intake pipe of an internal combustion engine having a chokevalve or throttle and throttle-operating mechanism, comprising a source of fuel, a relative,-

1y small fuel inlet passageand a relatively small air inlet passage converging toward acommon center, a relatively large outlet passage diverging from this common center, a needle-valve in axial alignment with and adapted to seat against the mouth of said fuel inlet passage, a'resilient element adapted to normally retain said needlevalve against its seat, and vacuum actuated means operableto move said needle-valve away from its seat when said engine is operated with said chokevalve closed, together with instrumentalities actuated from said throttle-operating mechanism and adapted to movesaid needle-valve away from its seat when said throttle is opened.

2. A supplementary fuel feeding device for attachmentto the intake pipe of an internal combustion engine having a throttle and throttle-operating mechanism, com rising a source of fuel, a relatively small uel inlet passage and a relatively small air inlet passage converging toward a common center, a relatively large outlet passage diverging from this common center, a needle-valve coaxial with and adapted to seat against the mouth of said fuel inlet passage, a resilient element adapted to normall press-said needle-valve against its seat, and means operable to move said needle-valve away from its seat, together with instrumentalities actuated from said throttle-operating mechanism to move said needle-valve away from its seat when said throttleis opened, and additional means acting' to permit said resilient element to gradually return said needle-valve toits seat.

3. In a fuel-feeding system for an internal combustion engine having an intake-pipe a carburetor, a throttle-valve and a choke-Va ve adapted to form a vacuum insaid intake pi e in combination, a supplemental fuel-feeding device adapted for attachment to said intakepipeand having a relatively small fuel-inlet passage, a relatively small air-inlet passage adapted to discharge adjacent thereto, and a relatively large mixture-outlet communicating with the interior of said intakepipe, together with an element operable to control the flow of fuel from said fuel-inlet passage and vacuum actuated means to operate said element, said vacuum being obtained from between said throttle-valve and said chokevalve.

4. A supplementary fuel feeding device for internal combustion engines having an intake 10 pipe and a choke-valve, a throttle and throttle-operating mechanism, comprising a source of fuel, a relatively small fuel inlet passage, a relatively small air inlet passage opening adjacent thereto, a relatively large outlet passage communicating with the interior of said intake pipe, a valve adapted to close said fuel inlet passage, a resilient element adapted to normally retain said valve in its closed position and vacuum-actuated means operable to open said valve when said engine 15 o erated with said choke-valve closed, toget ier with instrumentalit-ies actuated by said throttle-operating mechanism to open said valve when said throttle is opened. 5. A supplementary fuel feeding device for internal combustion engines having an intake pipe anda choke-valve, a throttle and throttle-operating mechanism, comprising a source of fuel, a relatively small fuel inlet passage, a relatively small air inlet passage opening adjacent thereto, a relatively large outlet passage communicating with the interior of said intake pipe, a valve adapted to close said fuel inlet passage, a resilient element adapted to normally retain said valve in its closed position and vacuum-actuated means operable to open said valve when said engine is operated with said choke-valve closed, together with instrumentalities actuated by said throttleoperating mechanism to open said valve when said throttle is opened and means adapted to internal combustion engines having an intake pipe and a choke valve, a throttle and throttle operating mechanism, comprising a source of fuel, a relatively small fuel inlet passage, a relatively small air inlet passage opening adjacent thereto, a relatively large outlet passage communicating with the interior of said intake pipe, a valve adapted to close said fuel inlet passage, a resilient element adapted to normally retain said valve in its closed position and vacuum-actuated means operable to open said valve when said engine is operated with said choke-valve closed, together with instrumentalities actuated by said throttle-operating mechanism to open said valve when said throttle is opened and means adapted to permit said resilient element to gradually close said Valve, said means being adjustable to vary the rate at which said resilient element is permitted to close said valve.

Supplemental fuel feeding means for a gas engine having an intake manifold and a carburetor which contains a throttle. and a choke valve, comprising a casing having a passage communicating with the interior of said manifold, a fuel duct leading into said passage, an opening from atmosphere into said passage adjacent said fuel duct, a valve adapted to close said fuel duct, a piston mounted on the stem of said valve, and adapted to lift same, a spring arranged to seat said valve, a cylinder surrounding said piston and having an opening from atmosphere into its valve-end, and a passage leading from its opposite end to the interior of said carburetor between said throttle and said choke valve.

HENRY B. HIGGINS,JR. 

